Nebraska Synod ELCA

Inside Out is the coming-of-age story of Riley and her five basic emotions – Joy, Anger, Sadness, Disgust, and Fear. The emotions live in Headquarters, the control center inside Riley’s mind, where they help advise her through everyday life. Viewers watch as Riley’s emotions navigate major changes happening in Riley’s young life including moving, going to a new school, making new friends, and figuring out how she will fit in. Although Joy, Riley’s main and most important emotion, tries to keep things positive, the emotions conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house and school.

Inside out is a movie with something for everyone – from young kids to the young at heart and everyone in between. It can also be a great conversation starter for questions about faith. The list below can get you started. What other conversations have you been able to have after watching Inside Out?

• Where do you connect with this movie emotionally? Are there any characters or situations that resonate with you?
• When God created each of us, we were created to have big emotions. Where do you see the five basic emotions of the movie (Joy, Anger, Sadness, Disgust, and Fear) lived out in the Bible? How does God show up for these people experiencing big emotions? How does God show up for you when you are experiencing big emotions?
• Early in the movie, Riley experiences a major change in her life. What changes are you experiencing in your own life? What emotions are you feeling about this change? What about in the church?
• Expressing emotions like sadness and fear can be difficult. What gets in the way of vulnerability and really expressing what we’re feeling inside? Can you think of moments in the Bible when people had to be vulnerable? What was the reaction to their vulnerability?
• The island’s of Riley’s personality begin to crumble during the movie. One character, a childhood imaginary friend named Bing Bong sacrifices himself to help save Riley. Bing Bong’s sacrifice gives us hope for Riley. Jesus also made a major sacrifice for each one of us on the cross.  How does Jesus’ sacrifice give you hope?
• At the end of the movie, Sadness is the reason Riley decides to return home. In order to move forward, Riley must experience the sadness of missing the life she had to leave behind and grieves this loss with her parents. What routines, ideas, or things do you need to let go of and grieve in order to move into a new chapter of your life? What about in the church?
• The movie begins with Joy being the primary leader of Riley’s emotions. However, by the end of the movie, we know that all emotions have an important role and no one emotion is the leader. If Joy isn’t the leader, then who is? What does our life look like when we put Christ as the leader of our lives instead of emotion?

Inside Out is available to stream on Disney+, Amazon, and Apple TV.